Oklahoma Highlights

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Oklahoma. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Oklahoma's elected officials:

The 2025 Oklahoma Legislative Session was focused on defense, as the tobacco industry continued their aggressive actions to weaken Oklahoma's tobacco prevention laws. Senate Bill 680 (and its counterpart House Bill 2742) would have cut taxes on “heated tobacco products” which are not yet for sale in Oklahoma. These products currently fall under the state's definition for tobacco products, and these bills would have created a new category with a 50% lower rate than the cigarette tax. Following robust efforts to oppose, these bills did not become law. The American Lung Association and partners continue to urge lawmakers to tax all tobacco products at the same rate, including closing the loophole that leaves e-cigarettes untaxed.

The Oklahoma legislature did pass House Bill 2783, which modifies the structure of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), jeopardizing the independence of its board of directors. TSET represents one of the only states with constitutionally protected tobacco Master Settlement Agreement funds, and is instrumental to several of Oklahoma's A-grades on tobacco prevention and cessation funding. HB 2783 has been challenged in court for its constitutionality, and the American Lung Association joined partners in an amicus brief urging the law to be discarded.

The Lung Association continues to work with partners and lawmakers to pass proven tobacco control policies, and while bills were introduced to repeal local preemption and increase tobacco retail enforcement, they failed to gain traction in the legislature.

The American Lung Association continues to build partnerships across the state, uniting those in tobacco control through the Oklahoma Tobacco Control Alliance, which local Lung Association staff chair. Members meet regularly to share resources and programs and build on the state's tobacco control work plan. Thanks to investments from both the State Department of Health and TSET, multiple public awareness campaigns were continued or launched across the state.

The American Lung Association calls on Oklahoma lawmakers to focus legislative efforts on proven tobacco control policies, rejecting the tobacco industry and focusing policies on the retailers who sell tobacco products. There remains no required permit to sell addictive e-cigarette products and the state's nicotine product registry continues to distract and confuse retailers, consuming resources with no effect. To ensure all Oklahomans have access to comprehensive proven tobacco control programs, the state must stay vigilant in protecting TSET. Finally, the state should remove local preemption laws and support a statewide law eliminating smoking in all public places and workplaces.